Long term unemployment

Ok, you are unemployed. It can be devastating when you lose your job. Even worse, you have been looking for a job for three or more months and still are unemployed with no good prospects in sight. It happens to the best of us. How can you remain attractive to employers as a viable candidate?

So, what are you doing every day? If you are eating bon bons and watching soap operas (I may be dating myself here), you are not presenting yourself in the best light. I don’t have all of the answers, but do have some suggestions. You need a story: Take classes. Travel. Freelance. Live abroad. Learn to cook. Start a business either related or not related to the field. Do something extreme. If you are interested in working for an outdoor action sports company, go snowboarding at some of the best places in the country. Or, if you are financially challenged, go work at one of the best snowboarding destinations in the country and brand it as ‘market research’. The goal: when you talk to a recruiter or hiring manager, they say “whoa, I’m so jealous.”

When you look at what you have been doing during your unemployment, do you feel confident in your story? How can you take your interests and craft a great story? How can you both take advantage of this time off and build a compelling story to share with a hiring manager? Who can help you assess if you have something interesting and engaging to share?

While a great story won’t get you the job, it could get your foot in the door. A great story gives a hiring manager or recruiter a reason NOT to edit you from their list of candidates. 

To learn more about career coaching, contact Kate Kibler at www.katekibler.com.